Return to Expedition 2000 homeMay 7, 2000
Day 7
The days get easier and easier as my body becomes conditioned to carrying my pack. I just watched the sun set behind a distant hill - a huge red ball. As soon as it set, a chill came over the air and a slight breeze kicked up. It has been a hot, clear day all day today, with a few cumulus clouds here and there. We walked into sagebrush territory! I love the color and the sharp smell of sage. Sage meaning wise. It has a thick, gnarled stem. It would have to be wise to grow in an environment like this. Dust, heat, freezing nights. It is a wonder that anything takes root in the dry air out here. The soil is dusty and makes my back cringe from the feeling I get when I drive my tent stakes into it.
At a break on the trail today one of my wishes
came true. A dust devil passed right over me. We looked up at the
sky and saw a mass of tumbleweeds swirling around about 200 feet above us. Suddenly,
a strong mini-gale hit us, blowing the straps around on our packs. I quickly
produced my camera, which generated laughter from the group. I got pretty
excited being in the middle of a dust devil.